Fascinating A. Capendu movable book containing four movable double-sided wheels
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La Fontaine, Jeu de Fables : mises en action avec figures coloriées et découpées
(Translates to The Game Fables, or Fables of Lafontaine put into action)
Very early slot book.
Date: 1818 - First Edition* State A (4 volumes of Le Jeu des Fables were published in French – each with different figures. Each volume was lettered on it’s card A, B, C, or D. The first (A) was published in 1818 (Bibliographie de la France, no.
4357), the other three in 1819. Each state had different figures. The volume is specified on the slipcase label and the scene card.
Author: Jean de La Fontaine; Lambert
*Publisher: L'Auteur - A strip of paper saying Alphonse Giroux has been pasted over the imprint for
L'Auteur which can be clearly seen using a bright light to see through the sticker pasted over the original imprint. The actual imprint says "L'auteur, rue du Jardinet, no. 11 : Nepveu, libraire, passage des Panoramas : Lefuel, libraire, rue Saint-Jacques, no. 54 " (See photos). Cleary Giroux took over the existing stock originally published by Nepveu/Lefuel. Giroux went on prnt his own edition in 1920. This is the first edition L'Auteur, not the Giroux printed book.
The preface in this book says there are 31 figures trente et une figures (which is correct for L'Auteur). The 1920 Giroux produced editions state 33 figures in their preface* (*Albin page 231). The guide sheet in this book also shows only 31 figures - See photos. We were able to lift the corner of the Giroux sticker with a book conservation heat pencil but decided to leave it as is rather than remove the sticker.
Set Consists of:
The book, complete with fold-out guide
The original matching slipcase - 17
x 13 cm
A separate matching envelope
31 cut-out figures in the envelope, a complete set (see photos)
The card with slits in it - on which to position ones desired cut out figures according to the guide in the book
Condition – Very Good. See photos. 31 figures correspond to the 31 shown in the boks guide. Photos of each scene and corresponding figures included are shown in images. 21 are originals, 10 are copies so well done that we had to use a magnifying glass to discern them. These are pictured as a group in the last photo. Otherwise, one bird has it’s head off and 4 figures have had tiny pieces replaced - the deer’s head, a dog’s paw, a bulls horn, and a horse’s ear. See photos. The guide sheet shows only 31 figures.
Collector's Corner:
In the Bibliographie de la France,Cercle de la librairie, 1818 - page 680, this listing appears (citing the 31 figures and the imprint):
These slotty books (originated by Nepveu) were popular between 1818 and 1830. The titles that we know of are listed below:
Titles –
First title: La Fontaine, Jeu de Fables: mises en action avec figures coloriées et découpées (4 volumes were published in French – each with different figures. Each volume was lettered on it’s card A, B,C, or D) Fontaine was also published by Ackermann (also published The Toilet) in two volumes, in English, known from a survival in Bodleian - Fables in action, : by means of small moveable pictures, and dissected and colored figures; with an explanatory text..1819. | London: : Published by R. Ackermann, ... L. Harrison, printer, ... | iv, [2], 5-18 p. : ill. ; 10 x 17 cm.)
Fables de Florian mises en action , avec fig. color. et découpées Paris : A. Nepveu ( This is
(Fables of Florian put into action with fig. color. and cut Paris: A. Nepveu – the card of one is an interior ballroom scene – two volumes were produced)
Mythologie mise en action par des figures découpées et coloriées Paris, Nepveu, 1822 (Mythology put into action by cut and colored figures Paris, Nepveu – the card here is the inside of a cave 2 vol. (48, 31 p.) ; oblong 13 x 17 cm.)
Les Contes des fées mis en action: avec figures coloriées et découpées. (Tales of fairies put into action: with colored and cut out figures. Came with 26 cut-outs that are inserted into either an indoor and outdoor scene. Includes Little Red Riding Hood, Ricky with the Tuft, and Tom Thumb. oblong (13 x 17.5 cm) of 32 pp.
While the above titles were the first 4, other titles appeared up until about 1830. Others that we know of (There may have been more) are:
Métamorphoses d'Ovide , mises en action par des figures découpées et coloriées (1929)
(Ovid's Metamorphoses, put into action by figures cut out and colored, 8vo; plus a cardboard representing a landscape and a wallet containing 17 figures cut out and colored. 6 fr.)
La Bible mise en action par des figures découpées et coloriées (1929)
(The Bible put into action by figures cut out and colored, oblong 8vo; plus a cardboard representing a landscape and a wallet with colored pieces cut out)
Product Code: A-51
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